Stir Against VSP Privatisation Turns 1,000-day Old

Visakhapatnam: The agitation launched by labour unions of RINL’s Visakhapatnam Steel Plant against its privatisation has turned 1,000 days old on Wednesday.

On the day, the VSP labour unions sought that Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy call for an all-party meeting. The meeting will pass a resolution against privatisation of the steel plant. The same will be presented to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, so that the centre totally drops the proposal to hand over VSP to private parties.

Labour unions feel such a move will yield positive results.

Though the centre has announced that it is withdrawing its proposal of disinvestment in RINL, labour unions contend that the move has not been dropped totally. The union had started their movement against privatisation of VSP by setting up a camp at Visakha Ukku Arch in Kurmannapalem on February 12, 2021.

The centre had earlier decided to privatise Nagarnar Steel Plant in Chhattisgarh. With that state witnessing elections, union home minister Amit Shah has promised at an election rally that the centre will stop privatisation of Nagarnar if BJP comes to power in that state.

Elections are scheduled in AP too in a few months. Labour unions of VSP are eager to see whether BJP makes a similar promise when Andhra Pradesh goes for elections.

On occasion of the 1000th day of their struggle, labour unions organised a programme on Wednesday at Kurmannapalem. Employees, residents, representatives of public associations and ex vice chancellors participated in the programme.